Author Archives: Ben Hsu
JNC “25 Year Club” Decal now available
UPDATE: These are now available in the JNC Shop. We at JNC like to come up with something new each year for JCCS, and this year we’re proud to introduce a new, interactive decal. The JNC “25 Year Club” decal honors cars … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — Debut Builds
With the Japanese Classic Car Show now officially 10 years old, it has become an event where people will wait to debut a build they’ve been working on in secrecy for years. Here are some of the best examples of cars … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 510, accord, bre, c10, c110, CA1, corona mark II, fairlady z, gto, Hakosuka, honda, japanese classic car show, jccs, john morton, kenmeri, mitsubishi, n-series, nissan, peter brock, s30, skyline, wagons, x20
26 Comments
Mazda’s founder escaped Hiroshima nuke by a hair
If it weren’t for the way a split second unfolded on the morning of August 6, 1945, some of the world’s greatest cars, like the Cosmo Sport, RX-7 and Miata, may have never existed. That was the day Mazda Motor Corporation’s founder, … Continue reading
2014 JCCS, a hint of what’s to come
It was an astounding show. This shot — taken from the safari rack on the roof of Isuzugeek Bart‘s Trooper, which he drove all the way down from Reno, Nevada — is just a small sampling. We’ll have more this week.
QotW: Which JNC model name should be revived?
History is littered with legendary nameplates that have ended in the scrapyard. We saw many of them at JCCS this weekend (coverage coming shortly), and it made us nostalgic for times when names like Silvia, Cressida and Prelude still existed. Which JNC model … Continue reading
EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 05 — Sights & Sounds
The Monterey Historics car week is one of the world’s great automotive events, and 2014 was a milestone year for Japanese classics. After all, seminal Nihon steel made strong showings at auctions, iconic Japanese cars raced at Laguna Seca, and Japanese automakers even held news-making unveilings … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the rarest common car?
There are some JNCs that you just don’t see, and it’s a mystery as to why. We’re not talking about kenmeri GT-Rs or Black Limited AE86s and the like. Those were never produced in large numbers or were special editions to … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Happy 30th Anniversary, NISMO
In September 1984 Nissan Motorsports was established in Omori, Tokyo. It’s been 30 years of top-level racing on an international stage under the NISMO banner and the company is celebrating.
Posted in motorsport
Tagged datsun, datsun 210, gt-r, le mans, NISMO, nissan, r32, skyline
9 Comments
MUSEUMS: The Petersen has a 130 Datsun Cedric in its Vault
So the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles apparently has a Nissan Cedric 130 Custom Six. What’s more, it’s is a LHD example badged as a Datsun, with black California license plates. Was this staple of Japanese streets circa 1965 actually meant for US import?
Someone tell MOPAR fanboys what the BRE stripes are
We’ve begun to notice a weird trend recently. Mopar fanboys are up in arms about Nissan copying some racing stripes that belong to Dodge. Sure, Peter Brock may have designed the livery on his Datsun Sports 2000 roadsters in 1968, but the rich heritage of Dodge’s … Continue reading
The most well preserved Datsun 720 pickup, ever
A couple of months ago Nissan threw a key party at an old ivy-covered mansion in the woods crammed full of taxidermied animals. But even better than some Eyes Wide Shut-type masquerade, they let attendees grab the keys to anything in their product lineup, including several items … Continue reading
Posted in museums
Tagged 240z, 720, datsun, fairlady roadster, nissan, nissan heritage collection, s30
23 Comments
QotW: Which JNC commands the most respect?
Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan, so… Which JNC commands the most respect? With its racing provenance, menacing grille and the fact that its modern day successor eats supercars for breakfast, the Nissan KPGC10 GT-R seems like the obvious … Continue reading
EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 03 — Motorsports Reunion
Perhaps the only thing more heavenly than hearing a cacophony of uncorked engines at full tear is actually witnessing a fleet of irreplaceable metal come screaming over the hills. The Rolex Motorsports Reunion is one of the highlights — possibly the highlight — of … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240sx, 240z, adam carolla, Bob Sharp Racing, c10, celica, datsun, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, fc3s, honda, imsa, mazda, Mazda 787, monterey historics, nissan, paul newman, porsche, Rolex Motorsports Reunion, rx-7, s13, s30, silvia, skyline, sports 800, Steve Millen, Tetsu Ikuzawa, toyota, z31, z32
23 Comments
EDITORIAL: JCCS now screening entrants. This is a good thing.
The 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show is less than three weeks away. It’ll be a milestone event as the JCCS reaches its 10th year in existence. We hope you can join us at the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, California on September … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Bob Hall talks Japanese nostalgics, the Miata, and how the Lotus Elan fits in
In light of the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata and the fact that the fourth-gen is just hours away from unveiling, here is an interview with Bob Hall. It was probably appropriate that we met with Bob Hall at … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the coolest “chick’s car”?
Fairly or not, many JNCs are labeled “chick’s cars” because they are compact, sport inoffensive designs, and embody performance in ways more civilized than spewing a boatload of HP. Besides, what’s so bad about being a “chick’s car” anyway? What’s the coolest “chick’s car”? … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
20 Comments
Happy Labor Day from JNC
It’s not work if you love it, right? Happy Labor Day from JNC.
Posted in jnc
8 Comments
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck with less than 19k miles
It’s a miracle! A 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck has appeared on Craiglist in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This rare captive import version of a Mitsubishi Forte pickup has color-matched wheels, the most 1970s stripe package you can imagine, and just 18,854 miles on the clock.
